U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) have written to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in support of Virginia’s joint application with Amtrak for matching funds to improve passenger-rail service.

Virginia is pushing for funding under the USDOT’s Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program to retire many of Amtrak’s existing rail cars, many of which are more than 40 years old.